There I go for my next adventure. This time I want to explore the mountanous area west of the symbol of the Pyrenees, Pic du Midi d'Ossau (2,884 m), both in France and in Spain. Since it is still early in the season (May 29), I carry also crampons and pickel for the more steep snowfields higher up, but here at 1,400 meters close to the Lac de Bious Artigues they are still not necessary. This spot is also a starting point for an interesting and rewarding daytrip which attracts many enthousiasts in summer. Tanya will drive back home, so it is 'goodbye' and 'I will call'.

There he is alredy, Pic du Midi d'Ossau (2,884 m), seen from the G.R. (Grande Randonnée = Long Distance Trail) number 10 at about 1,600 m just above Lac de Bious-Artigues. Note the forked top.

Again, but now from just under Lacs d'Ayous.

One of the Lacs d'Ayous (1,845 m), mostly frozen.

The same, just a bit higher up.

Lac Gentau (2,000 m), also still frozen, with Refuge d'Ayous on the right, still closed. The sign indicates Col d'Ayous (2,185 m), that is where I will go. But now it is also time to fix the crampons under my mountain shoes. Note the white/red flag on the pole, the waymark of a Long Distance Trail.

Up towards Col d'Ayous (2,185 m).

Looking back one last time, I notice the weather is changing. During the night and the next 2 days there was occasionally rain with mostly low clouds, unfortunately. On day 4 I encountered heavy fog on my way to Col de Pau at the French/Spanish border at just under 2,000 m., what made me decide to turn back, since I was not sure enough about the direction to take in a lot of snow.

Day 3. Close to Ibon d'Estanés in Spain. Snow on the 'Cuchet de Garay o la Mujer Muerta', I don't know what it means, but it all looks less friendly at this moment.

Ibon d'Estanés (1,750 m) with As Grabetas in the west.

Day 4. Lac d'Arlet with Pic d'Arlet (2.207 m), which I would climb the following day, but I didn't know that at that moment, yet.

Refuge d'Arlet (1.986 m), also still closed. The little signpost indicates a watersource.

View to the east.

'Le chemin de la liberté' (route to freedom), a memorial on Col de la Cuarde (1.980 m), for those who escaped to Spain during World War II (1939 - 1945) from by the German Nazi's occupied territory in Western Europe. A moment of reflection, for sure!

Day 5. At the border of the 'Parc National des Pyrénées', indicated by the white flash with in red the head of an 'isard' (kind of small deer) and the letters 'PN'.

Bivouac, and time for the first course of my dinner (soup with baked cheesesticks). It is also getting colder.

Day 6. Bivouac Achar d'Aguas Tuertas at the G.R. 11, with decor of Sierra de Bernera (around 2,300 m).

Day 7. Cupula de Secus (2,430 m) seen from As Crabetas.

Again, after some days, Ibon d'Estanés, this time from the Sierra de Bernera in the southeast, with Pic du Midi d'Ossau in the distance.

Day 8. Ibon de Escalar (2,078 m).

Col des Moines (2,168 m) at the Spanish/French border, and again........indeed, now seen to the eastnortheast. Two people on a daytrip admiring the number on the borderstone.

Lac Casterau with the symbol of the Pyrenees for the last time this trip. We'll meet again.

Day 9. Early morning, still in nice weather, after a heavy thunderstorm with a lot of wind and grain the previous night. But ahead in the valley of the 'Gave de Bious' there are low clouds. Soon, when entering the clouds, fog will be all around. Later that morning again a thunderstorm would pass, but then I was already passing Lac de Bious-Artigues, direction the D 231 on my way to civilisation. I called Tanya the day before from the ski resort Candanchu, still in Spain, and agreed to meet in Gabas today at around 2PM.

In Gabas (1,027 m), a small village at the 'Gave d'Ossau'. The end of this trip. Tanya arrives to pick me up, and what makes it extra special, she always brings a thermos flask with good coffee and something nice to eat.